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14 Jul 2015

Former Jigawa governor, Sule Lamido and sons granted bail

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday granted bail on self-recognition to a former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, who is being prosecuted along with his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, as well as others for N1.3bn fraud.

‎Other accused persons, comprising the two sons of the former governor, and the fourth co-accused, Aminu Abubakar, were granted bail in the sum of N25m and two sureties each by Justice Gabriel Kolawole.

The other companies arraigned along with them were companies through which they allegedly perpetrated the fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, in its 24 counts preferred against the accused persons, alleged that Lamido used his position as the Governor of Jigawa State between 2007 and 2015 to award contracts to companies in which he and the two sons had interest.

‎After the proceedings of Tuesday in Abuja, the accused persons were driven out of the court premises back to Federal Capital Territory Command of the Nigerian Prisons in Kuje in a pick-up van with number plate PS 620 A01 ‎at 6:10pm.

As early as 8am on Thursday, more than 30 policemen had been stationed within and around the court premises apparently to avert a situation where the supporters of the former governor invaded the Kano Division of the court when the accused persons were being arraigned on July 9.

The policemen screened people into the court premises and prevented people from parking their cars ‎in the usual parking spaces around the court premises.

The accused persons were transferred to Kuje Prison from Kano prison, where they were remanded by Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Kano Division of the Federal High Court in Kano upon their arraignment before her court on July 9.